Clean Slate?

Many of think all we need  is a clean slate. A do over. Maybe we move thousands of miles away, get a new job, get married and change our name. We just want to start over,  paint a new picture, or rewrite the story in a better way. Can't this happen? ......Well yes, kinda, actually no!

Yes, your slate on the outside will look clean and fresh ready for your new journey but underneath lurks the old “stuff”. It is still there waiting to seep through. No matter how far you go your baggage, bad habits, hang-ups, hurts, lessons not learned, will follow. Moving and changing your surroundings don’t make it all magically disappear. You can hide behind the “new” you—for a while. But slowly, fatigue, time pressures, loneliness, frustrations, busyness, hurt feelings all cause the old issues to show their ugly face. No matter how hard you might try... your baggage always seems to jump on your back again weighing you down. Don’t believe me? Think you are different? Your situation is unique? Go for it! Try. Try really hard.

God will either bend you or break you!

“Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 

 “You are called to be free.”  Galatians 5:13a

Unpacking your baggage is throwing down the gauntlet. It is waging a war with the devil himself. Satan wants to keep you in bondage. He wants to keep you in slavery, tied down with hurtful habits, fears, and sins that block our freedom in Christ. He lies and fills us with pride and arrogance making us believe we can do it on our own, if we try... real hard.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor 10:4-5

Try until you die. But really it is not about you or your best efforts. The war has already been won. The enemy has been defeated.

“My grace is sufficient for you, my power made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9

“Everyone born of God conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith.” 1 John 5:4 (Message)

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 
1 Cor 15:57

There was a pool at Bethesda where a great number of disabled people hung out-the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.  One guy had been there for over 38 years. Jesus asked him,’ Do you want to get well?” The man gave him some excuses. Jesus was patient and replied, “Get up. Pick up your mat and walk.” The invalid was healed.  Many us have been sitting on "the mat" waaaayyyy too long. Don't you want to get well? 

Will you claim victory? Will you just try harder? Will you ignore everything and pretend the baggage isn’t there anymore? Will you accept your baggage as a friend and miss out on abundant life?

Jesus came to set the captives free! Throw off your yoke of slavery! Give Him your baggage. Let Him heal your wounds.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our sins, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.”  Isaiah 53:5

That’s what is so amazing about grace. We don’t have to try harder. We don’t have to live in the darkness, captives to our bondage. We only have to accept His perfect love. Our slates are not wiped clean by running away. They are wiped clean by his blood on the cross!